A Review of the Design and Performance Analysis of the Air Preheater with Efficiency Calculation

Abstract

In boilers, thermal power plants, furnaces, and industrial heating systems, an air preheater is an important heat recovery device that utilizes waste heat from hot flue gases to preheat incoming combustion air before it enters the furnace. This process improves combustion efficiency, reduces fuel consumption, and enhances overall thermal efficiency. Air preheaters are widely used to recover energy that would otherwise be lost in exhaust gases. Depending on operating conditions and applications, different types of air preheaters are used, such as recuperative, regenerative, tubular, plate-type, and rotary air preheaters. However, their performance may be affected by issues like fouling, corrosion, leakage, pressure drop, and maintenance requirements, which must be properly managed. Additionally, in order to guarantee dependable operation and a long service life of air preheaters in high-temperature environments, appropriate design and material selection are essential. Heat transfer efficacy is maintained, and efficiency losses are avoided by routine inspection, cleaning, and monitoring.